Newmont Corporation has announced the completion of its $20 million Global Community Support Fund, established in April 2020 as a response to the unprecedented challenges brought about by the global pandemic.
The objective behind the fund was twofold: to provide immediate financial aid to the host communities where Newmont operates, addressing the pressing impacts of the pandemic, while also fostering long-term resilience and sustainable development.
Suzy Retallack, Chief Safety and Sustainability Officer at Newmont, expressed her satisfaction with the culmination of the fund.
“After almost four years since its launch, we are pleased to announce the successful closure of the Global Community Support Fund, which reflects our ongoing commitment to partnering with the communities where we operate.”
Suzy Retallack
Suzy Retallack emphasized the fund’s broad impact, underscoring its contribution to the collective efforts of communities in overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic and paving the way for innovative strategies to enhance resilience in the future.
Throughout its duration of three and a half years, Newmont collaborated with over 420 local governments, medical institutions, charitable organizations, and non-governmental entities to strategically allocate funds where they were most needed. This partnership-driven approach ensured that the funds were utilized effectively and efficiently to address a wide range of critical needs arising from the pandemic.
The fund’s initiatives spanned various areas, including healthcare infrastructure enhancement, provision of medical supplies and equipment, support for vulnerable populations, economic empowerment programs, and initiatives aimed at building community resilience. By targeting both immediate needs and long-term development goals, Newmont aimed to not only alleviate the acute impacts of the pandemic but also to lay the groundwork for sustainable growth and prosperity in the communities it serves.
Wide Range of Initiatives
Meanwhile, the $20 million Fund has been instrumental in supporting a wide range of initiatives, focused on health, food security and economic resilience: $1.4 million donated to the Regional Hospital of Cajamarca, providing ventilators, incubators, monitoring equipment, COVID-19 tests and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Moreover, $500,000 donation matched by the Colorado Health Foundation resulting in a $1 million total donation to the Colorado Community Support Fund to support community health and prevention for underserved populations in the state. $300,000 donated to the American Red Cross Global Disaster Preparedness Center to support research and local-level grants for emergency response community resilience.
In addition, $304,000 donated to the Cree Trappers’ Association in Quebec to provide food security to vulnerable people and employment for traditional harvesters in the nine communities of Eeyou Istchee. $734,000 donated to the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Ghana to establish two new laboratories in the host communities of Ahafo and Akyem along with COVID-19 tests and testing equipment to expand their testing capacity for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
$968,000 was also donated to Suriname’s Ministry of Health to launch the Recovery and Resilience Project in partnership with Crown Agents to strengthen Suriname’s health system, reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and COVID-19 burdens, and enhance emergency response capabilities.
Sarah Hepworth, Chief Programmes Officer at Crown Agents, on her part said, “As part of our commitment to addressing the challenges posed by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the impact of COVID-19 in Suriname, Crown Agents, the Ministry of Health and Newmont formed an impactful partnership on the Recovery and Resilience Project”.
“Together, we worked to strengthen Suriname’s health system, alleviate the burden of NCDs and COVID-19, and enhance emergency response capabilities. Our focus on strengthening NCD services, promoting vaccination uptake, and addressing healthcare worker hesitancy underscores our dedication to improving the well-being of the people of Suriname. Crown Agents is proud to collaborate with Newmont and the Ministry of Health to contribute to the health and resilience of Suriname.”
Sarah Hepworth
Newmont iterated that it remains committed to its core values of safety, sustainability, and responsibility, and the successful implementation of the Global Community Support Fund underpins the company’s purpose to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining.
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